Feb. 15, 2004
LAS VEGAS - UNLV junior Aviram Salomon won the decisive match to give his team a 4-3 victory over New Mexico State and a third-place finish Sunday at the annual men's tennis spring invitational at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The Rebels improved to 2-3 while the Aggies fell to 2-3.
UNLV opened the morning by winning two of three doubles matches for one team point. In singles play, NMSU tied things with a win at Court Five. However, Marko Blagojevic won 6-1, 7-5 at No. 6 over Tyler Lyon and Henner Nehles finished off Ben Archer-Clowes 6-4, 6-4 at the top spot to put the Rebels up 3-1.
Needing to win just one of three remaining matches, UNLV saw Aggie players win the next two to tie things. But Salomon, despite a leg injury, toughed out a three-setter at No. 2 and ultimately took the match 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 over Danilo Zivanovic.
"New Mexico State is a good team so we showed a lot of heart coming off Saturday's loss (to Oklahoma) and winning," UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook said. "Avi Salomon is a big-time player under pressure and he showed that again today."
No. 74 Oklahoma won the championship of this year's tournament by downing Texas-Arlington 4-0.
Also, Utah State defeated Nevada, Reno 4-2 to capture fifth place while Idaho State got by Weber State 4-1 for seventh.
UNLV is off until hosting UC Riverside on March 1.
MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS
UNLV SPRING INVITATIONAL -- FINAL ROUND
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
THIRD-PLACE MATCHUNLV 4, NEW MEXICO STATE 3DOUBLES: (UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Nehles/Kielbowicz (UNLV) def. Archer-Clowes/Beg (NMSU) 8-52. Massaro/Salomon (UNLV) def. Halligan/Avila (NMSU) 9-73. Zivanovic/Lyon (NMSU) def. DiMartino/Blagojevic (UNLV) 9-8
SINGLES: (UNLV EARNS THREE TEAM POINTS)1. Henner Nehles (UNLV) def. Ben Archer-Clowes (NMSU) 6-4, 6-42. Aviram Salomon (UNLV) Danilo Zivanovic (NMSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-23. Stjepan Beg (NMSU) def. Romain Massaro (UNLV) 6-4, 6-44. Luis Avila (NMSU) def. Joel Kielbowicz (UNLV) 6-1, 5-7, 6-45. Christian Halligan (NMSU) def. David DiMartino (UNLV) 6-0, 6-16. Marko Blagojevic (UNLV) def. Tyler Lyon (NMSU) 6-1, 7-5
2004 UNLV MEN'S TENNIS INVITATIONAL BRACKET
FRIDAYOklahoma 7, Weber State 0New Mexico State 5, Utah State 2UT-Arlington 7, Idaho State 0UNLV 7, Nevada, Reno 0
SATURDAYLOSERS' BRACKETUNR 7, Weber State 0Utah State 5, Idaho State 2WINNERS' BRACKETUTA 5, New Mexico State 2Oklahoma 6, UNLV 1
SUNDAY FINAL STANDINGSFinals 1. Oklahoma (3-0)Oklahoma 4, UTA 0 2. UT-Arlington (2-1)3rd Place 3. UNLV (2-1)UNLV 4, NMSU 3 4. New Mexico State (1-2)5th Place 5. Utah State (2-1)Utah State 4, UNR 2 6. Nevada, Reno (1-2)7th Place 7. Idaho State (1-2)Idaho State 4, Weber State 1 8. Weber State (0-3)
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH#74 OKLAHOMA 4, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 0DOUBLES: (OU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Velicka/Garrison (OU) def. McGregor/Buksik (UTA) 8-42. Corrie/Farquharson (UTA) def. Ivanov/Long (OU) 9-73. Fukala/Tanasoiu (OU) def. Trimmien/Van Renensburg (UTA) 8-2SINGLES: (OU EARNS THREE TEAM POINTS)1. Alexei Ivanov (OU) vs. David Corrie (UTA) DNF2. Ondrej Fukala (OU) vs. Nathan McGregor (UTA) DNF3. Marek Velicka (OU) def. Sandy Farquharson (UTA) 6-2, 6-34. Tommy Garrison (OU) def. Niels Buksik (UTA) 6-4, 6-25. Silviu Tanasoiu (OU) def. Ian Vazquez (UTA) 6-3, 6-26. Lee Gregg (OU) vs. Josey Trimmien (UTA) DNF
FIFTH-PLACE MATCHUTAH STATE 4, NEVADA, RENO 2DOUBLES: (USU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Jooste/Ericsson (UNR) def. Park/Nelson (USU) 8-62. Schenk/Rusekhi (USU) def. Leuschner/Sieh (UNR) 8-33. Trask/Bair (USU) def. Popovic/Max Volger (UNR) 8-1SINGLES: (USU EARNS THREE TEAM POINTS)1. Adam Jooste (UNR) def. Hungsoon Park (USU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-32. Roshan Rusekhi (USU) def. Rudi Leuschner (UNR) 6-4, 4-6, 6-33. Jason Trask (USU) vs. Milos Popovic (UNR) Did Not Finish4. Jonah Nelson (USU) def. Dani Ericsson (UNR) 6-2, 6-45. Hannes Schenk (USU) def. Brandon Sieh (UNR) 6-1, 6-26. Rafal Stupka (UNR) def. Ryan Bair (USU) 7-6, 6-2
SEVENTH-PLACE MATCHIDAHO STATE 4, WEBER STATE 1DOUBLES: (WSU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Engelbrecht/Marchant (WSU) vs. Hestian Stoica/Stavridis (ISU) DNF2. Corlett/Zach Levetan (WSU) def. Pijoan/Ruwo (ISU) 8-43. Covington/Zach Rideout (WSU) def. Okoh/Ryo Sakamoto (ISU) 8-1SINGLES: (ISU EARNS FOUR TEAM POINTS)1. Mathis Saberon (WSU) vs. Butch Stavridis (ISU) DNF2. Ivan Moferdin (ISU) def. Jonathan Engelbrecht (WSU) 6-7, 6-2, 6-33. Andrew Corlett (WSU) vs. Kapil Desac (ISU) DNF4. Marc Pijoan (ISU) def. Spencer Marchant (WSU) 7-5, 6-15. Masimba Ruwo (ISU) def. Daniel Abeaboeu (WSU) 6-2, 6-36. Jemre Okoh (ISU) def. Travis Covington (WSU) 6-2, 7-5
